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Martin Luther tried It too
Sadat tries a little kindness
by Rabbi David H. Auerbach
Some six months have now
passed since Anwar Sadat’s “peace
mission” to Jerusalem. Perhaps
the time has come to review it and
place it in proper perspective.
To understand what has really
transpired these last six months,
we must turn the clock back to
16th century Germany at the time
of the Protestant Reformation.
Martin Luther, the leader of the
Reformation, was initially very
compassionate toward the Jews.
He felt that the Church had treated
them shamelessly. The Jews were
right to reject the Church’s efforts
to convert them. “I would advise,"
he wrote, “that everyone deal
kindly with the Jews. In such a case
we could expect them to come over
to us. We must receive them kindly
and allow them to compete with us
in earning a livelihood."
Luther’s strategy failed to
produce the desired results. The
Jews were not going to convert to
Lutheranism any more than they
would convert to Catholicism.
While they appreciated Luther’s
kindness, they could not accept his
teachings. Luther became incensed
at the Jews for their refusal to
become Christians. He felt that the
Jews had not appreciated his
kindness. And so he became a
persecutor of the Jews, calling for
the burning of synagogues, the
tearing down of Jewish houses and
the confiscation of Jewish books.
November, 1977. Sadat decides
to accept Begin’s invitation to
come to Jerusalem. Everyone
cheers. Sadat says to the Knesset:
“We welcome you among us. This
corner is yours. We accept to live
with you in a lasting and just
peace." But this isn’t all Sadat says.
He demands full Israeli
withdrawal and the establishment
of a Palestinian State.
What was Sadat really doing? 1
think that he realized, as Luther
before him realized, that as long as
the Jewish people were treated
with hate and bitterness, there
wasn't the slightest chance that
they would ever fulfill Arab
desires. So Sadat thought, “Why
not try a little kindness. They want
recognition—I’ll give them
recognition. It won’t cost me
anything. And then they will fall
over themselves in a rush to give
me what I want—a complete and
total return to the way things were
before June 6, 1977.
“That’s step one. Step two
(perhaps for the future) is a return
to the partition borders. Step three
is a return to pre-partition
Palestine. And should the Jewish
people fail to appreciate my
kindness, then my friend Jimmy
Carter and world public opinion
will force them to respond exactly
as 1 desire. I can’t lose and they
can’t win.” '
What we must recognize is that
absolutely nothing has changed in
the Middle East. Sadat's visit to
Jerusalem last November was not
a historic breakthrough at all. It
was simply a change of tactics.
Sadat knew full well that Israel
cannot be defeated on the
battlefield. He also knew that there
never would be a Geneva
Conference. So, if the old ways
aren’t working, let’s try something
new. “If I accomplish nothing
else,” Sadat surely must have
thought, “I will gain support and
make Begin look intransigent.
Furthermore, if I now get
American arms 1 can strengthen
Egypt militarily so that perhaps
some day Israel can be defeated on
the battlefield.”
The real truth is that despite all
of Sadat's theatrics, no peace is
being offered, and no peace was
ever offered. Sadat didn’t even
offer to negotiate. Arabs don't
negotiate, they demand. Their idea
of negotiations is for the other side
to make all the concessions and to
agree in advance to whatever the
Arabs want. It is now known that
Sadat had decided to break off
“negotiations” in Jerusalem in
January even before his delegation
left Cairo. For Sadat was afraid
that the negotiators would actually
agree—that is, come up with a
compromise that Sadat would be
forced to accept.
As a matter of fact, in the short
time the delegations met, they
agreed on five of the seven points
under discussion. Furthermore.
Sadat wants a commitment in
advance of negotiations that Israel
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An Atlanta rabbi compares Anwar
Sadat’s strategy to that of Martin
Luther, leader of the Protestant
Reformation in 16th century Germany.
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will withdraw from territories over
which Sadat himself has no
jurisdiction (the West Bank and
the Golan Heights).
Sadat’s entire play was and is a
sham. It is Sadat who is stubborn,
Sadat who is intransigent. Sadat is
the obstacle to peace.
When Begin and Sadat met in
Jerusalem, Sadat made three
promises in their private
discussions:
1. That the Egyptian army
would not cross the Gidiand Mitla
passes, so that in effect almost all
of Sinai would be demilitarized.
2. That Egypt would recognize
the Straits of Tiran as an
international waterway to be
supervised by UN forces.
3. That Egypt would understand
the necessity for Israel to maintain
“protective security facilities" in
the Sinai (i.e. the Sinai settlements
and military protection for them).
It was on this basis that Begin
offered to give all of the Sinai
(except the settlements which
actually comprise only 1 'A percent
of the Sinai) as well as Sharm-el
Sheikh which controls the Straits
of Tiran.
But Sadat soon changed his tune
and reneged on all three promises.
Now he says that:
1. While the bulk of the
Egyptian army will not cross the
passes, some forces will be
stationed east of them (up to the
Israeli border).
2. Only “innocent” passage will
be permitted through the Straits of
Tiran.
3. “Peace will bring security” so
that the stationing of Israeli forces
(and the settlements) will not be
necessary and will not be tolerated.
Jimmy Carter, are you listening?
How can you ask Israel to give up
land (which is irreversible) while
the Arabs are only asked to give
words (which are reversible)?
If peace is ever to come to the
Middle East, it will only be when
Sadat’s initiative is seen for what it
really is. Let us not delude
ourselves and jeopardize Israel’s
existence and security.
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P»«« 1 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE May 5, 1978